A Guide to Giving Your Old Candles a New Life

May 3, 2020

If you’ve spent any time in our store Bona Fide in Golden BC, you’ll know how obsessed we are with candles. However, after a year of owning a store, we have an old, used candle jar piled up on almost every shelf just begging for a new life! We have made you an easy to follow DIY guide for repurposing a used candle jar and giving it some new and beautiful life!

STEP ONE: Freeze!

Step one in the DIY for repurposing your old candle jar is to get rid of the remaining wax left lingering at the bottom of the jar! This is an easy step…Since wax shrinks when it gets cold, all you have to do is put your jars in the freezer for an hour or two. Once the wax has frozen, gently use a butter knife to pry out the remaining wax. Your wick will probably be glued to the bottom-rather than trying to get it off we just left it in there as we were going to cover it up anyways! After you’ve got most of the wax out, use some hot water to clean out your jars.

STEP TWO: Prep and Paint!

The next step is the fun part! Using painters tape, tape off the section you want painted. We found the best option was chalkboard spray paint as it gives a really cool matte texture to your candle jars. We tried a few geometric shapes, and they all turned out really well. Make sure to be patient with your spray painting. Allow to dry for a couple hours between thinly sprayed coats to prevent “drippage” and streaks! Chalkboard paint dries relatively fast so you shouldn’t have to wait too long before peeling off your tape.

STEP THREE: Plant and Enjoy.

The next step once your planters are dry is to plant your succulents or plants in your DIY plant holders! Since we used succulents and they need good drainage, we put a thin layer of rocks on the bottom to allow the soil to drain. (We didn’t drill holes in the bottom of the candle jars). Use the right soil for your plant and VOILA! Your old candle jars are now adorable little plant holders to be enjoyed.

Have other ideas? We are thinking next we’ll try making some for makeup brush holders and q-tip containers…but the possibilities are endless! We want to see what you create, so make sure to tag us @bonafidegolden in your candle repurposing photo’s!